My last post “Should you give your Child a Sibling” stirred a very healthy discussion amongst my readers, friends and fellow moms. The response was positive as well as salty! And during a casual chat with a few of my friends who are in the “one and done” zone, I felt I must highlight the benefits of raising a Single Child.

“So, when are you completing your family?”………”Every child needs a companion- there’s nothing like giving a sibling to your baby.”………”Your child will not understand the concept of sharing- it’s called Single Child Syndrome.”

Well, if you belong to the clan who believes “One is Fun”, this article is going to make you happier because we are going to state some awesome benefits of raising a Single Child which you wouldn’t have been able to tell upfront to anyone and everyone ALL THE TIME!

Let’s face it, this one question crops up the moment you are ready to plan your child’s first birthday. But why don’t people look at the benefits of raising a Single Child, there being so many of them, like:

1.That Special bond

There’s more one-on-one time that you can give to your child without making any adjustments, sacrifices, manipulations. You don’t have to spread your attention around to other children. The child will also most likely turn to you when other children would turn to brothers, sisters and friends for guidance. You and your partner will be their go-to companion which is a special relationship to have between parent and child.

Child with no siblings ultimately gets more opportunities to gain independence in terms of keeping himself busy and being social.

Only children are more aware of parental expectations, which has a strong influence on creativity because they have more opportunities for independent activity, and independence is strongly related to creative thinking.

Only children learn at a young age how to be by themselves and not have to rely on others for amusement and entertainment. They have a deeper primary relationship with themselves.

Being the only child implies being the focal point of parents.This results in the child’s hobbies and talents being nurtured.

Also, studies suggest, only children usually do extremely well academically because of the fact that they are on the receiving end of their parents’ undivided time and focus.

3. Money Matters

The way education and health industry is flourishing & advancing (read: getting more & more expensive), raising a single child is definitely lighter on the pocket. When you start thinking of big expenses like school fees, daycare charges or basics like diapers, vaccinations etc, you would find enough & more reasons to stick to your ‘One and Done’ policy.

With more time & money in hand, parents are in a better position to give better facilities and lifestyle to the child. Most things that were luxuries earlier are no less than necessities today. From planninng the best vaccation to participating with your child in extra curricular activities, constraints to consider are much lesser with one child.

It just makes so much sense- with just one child to take care of, you are left with more time to focus on whatever part of your life you want to. From getting time to socialise to pursuing your long lost hobby to setting up your professional life again or to simply pampering yourself by sipping coffee- with only one child under your wing, you have the time and you probably have the money. Basically, you’ll have the opportunity to find happiness outside the parameters of parenthood which not every parent has the time, energy or money to do.

Well, only if you can imagine what it is to go on a short car ride with 2 kids, 1 baby bag, 1 meal bag, x number of toys and infinite other ‘must-haves’, you would know what being hectic means. Less chaos means a calmer and saner mommy which ultimately means a happier family and home.

Sibling rivalry is a non-issue when it comes to parenting an only child. Child would never be exposed to the bitter reality of sibling rivalry that ranges from jealousy to competition to unintentional favouritism from parents. Single kids are thus seen to grow up very self-assured and self-aware. They tend to understand themselves and their capabilities and limits better at an earlier age compared to other children.

Well, after all you are a mother, and thinking about the Mother Nature should also be your responsibility somewhere. More kids implies more stuff. Picture a store room with double the amount of toys, double the number of clothes and almost double the number of baby gears. A single child would have a direct influence on your buying habits as well as wastage generated.

While there are ample pros of having a single child, but it also comes with its set of disadvantages. There is no conclusive answer to whether it is easier or more difficult to groom a single child as it depends on a range of factors i.e. parental preference, economic condition of the family, extended family support, other parental commitments and so on and so forth. Ultimately what matters is how we as Parents raise our kids & the values we imbibe in them.

What do you think? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below.

Go Mommy!

This post has originally been written for ‘Hello Parent’. To access the original article, please click here.

Hi, the article is from the perspective of the parents but let me tell you the drawbacks of being a single child. I am an almost 40 only child and wish I had a sibling. While I enjoyed all the attention as a child, the one thing I miss now is someone else equally loving and responsible towards my parents. I haven’t learnt to share anything. And now that I’ve recently had twins, I wish I had a sibling who I could trust to babysit them.

Not that I’m claiming you are stating so in your article, but I laugh when people make it sound like it’s a one way thing. I have no judgement towards how anyone grows, (or chooses to not grow), their family. I have friends who say “No kids for us at all”, some who are happy with one and done and some who have 9 kids. All of those people and families are happy. That’s the beauty of it all. Their life, choices and happiness. I don’t look at my “one and done” friends and think they live a better life than I, nor do I think they do the same to me with my going on four children. There are benefits to every angle. It just depends on what benefits you choose.
I also will have to disagree with some of the points. However, it all just depends on how you run your own household and how you parent, (as I believe you stated if I understood correctly).
Good discussion piece though 😉

Thank you for sharing your perspective on why having only one child is ok and has its benefits. My husband and I have a different opinion currently on whether or not to have a second child and your post gave me some good insight.

Every set up comes with its own share of pros and cons. And the debates around this topic are never ending. There’s no particular foolproof plan how a family should be. In the end, as long as it works for you as a unit – it’s great.

well more than benefit i think its a personal choice..I have still not decided on one and done but i would never look into benefits of having one or many if i feel like i will just go for it..but your pointers are very convincing

Oh I heard a lot from my friends who have one child. I think we all have to face the questions and are judged for what we do or not do. It never ends. If you don’t have a child, why no child? If one child, why not two? So it’s an endless discussion.

Having one or two children is entirely a personal choice. Talking about the benefits of having a single child sounds a little biased and opinionated. There are pros and cons of every situation. I am a mom of two and thought a lot before going for another. I must say that I am very happy with my decision.

Ok you’ve convinced me.hahah. I love the reasons stated here. I know this is a fun post but its everyone’s personal choice at the end of the day. I come from a multi-sibling household and glad for it. Sadly I am not at the life stage to have another child or I would have more than 1.

I can so relate to this post as I have son and life seems complete. Although family & friends keep asking for the second one but I see nothing less in my life as of now. Felt good after reading this post.